In 2005, we traveled thousands of miles, aboard sailboats, ferries, buses, trains, canoes, and bicycles to reach the site of the claim that kicked of the 1897 Gold Rush. That Christmas, we compiled the breathtaking photos into our first calendar.

The following year, our travels were more mundane, but there were still enough incredible pictures for a calendar. Some family members began to treat these Meps’n’Barry calendars as collectors’ items.

We haven’t been able to distribute as many copies to our friends as we used to, but this will be my tenth year of designing a custom calendar with our photos. Here, for the first time, is a gallery of the images that make up the 2015 calendar.

If you’d like to purchase a calendar, drop me a note. I know it’s already late, but the year still has 11-1/2 months to enjoy!

Imagine that for the last couple of years, someone followed you around with a camera, capturing as many of your happy times as possible. What a gift to your family and friends, and what a gift to the photographer, to have captured so much of your joyful spirit on film.

Since 2011, I took that role with my beloved friend and artistic partner, Philip Wilson. I photographed all our adventures together, from one end of the USA to the other, especially Burning Man and Mexico. I documented every step of our joint art installation, Choose Art.

And then, just like that, he was suddenly gone, passing away too young and too soon last weekend. Although they make me cry now, I hope these images of his infectious smile will bring some joy and happiness to the world. That’s what he would want.

Hardship may dishearten at first,
But every hardship passes away.
All despair is followed by hope;
And darkness is followed by sunshine.
~ Rumi

Receiving his Master’s in Mad Science at Burning Man in 2011

At Mount Lassen, 2011

Working on Flutterby

Cruising on Flutterby in the ICW

With the Happy Spot painting he commissioned from Tess Murdock. It is the only painting on Flutterby.

On the beach in Playa Azul, Mexico

Tulum, Mexico

He loved to wear Tomas’ hat everywhere he went

Mexico

Climbing on Mayan ruins

Mexico

Mexico

Mexico

Enjoying the first of many post-retirement naps

Excited as a little kid at his retirement party, where he received a remote-control helicopter

His License to Chill from his retirement-“graduation” party

Visiting the coast near Santa Cruz

Soldering Choose Art in the backyard

Working on Choose Art at Burning Man, 2012

Reno Balloon Festival

I teased him about how compulsive he was about his phone

Grasshopper Cottage, in the Ocala National Forest in Florida

Mirror Lake, on the campus of the Ohio State University

Exploring Ohio

Clowning around

More clowning around

At Hocking Hills, in Ohio

Hiking in Ohio

We dyed Easter eggs in Ohio… over a month after Easter

Enjoying spring flowers

Philip loved purple, and loved the way these flowers matched his shirt

He always stopped to smell the flowers

He even enjoyed dandelions

Figuring out where to put the flower he just picked

Adventures in West Virginia

Camping in Ohio, where he was entranced by fireflies

In addition to red clown noses, he created two bicolored pink-and-blue ones, probably the only ones in existence

Burning Man 2013. He loved the Choose Art sign that Barry and I made and used it to decorate his home.

Reading Latitude 38 and dreaming about sailboats

Walking across the Golden Gate Bridge

He was fascinated by the construction of the Golden Gate bridge

San Francisco from the Golden Gate bridge

Curious about how this art was constructed, he ignored the “do not touch” signs

Trying to figure out an old piece of machinery in Colorado

Playing with an oven mitt he found in Bob’s kitchen

Enjoying fall colors in Colorado

Red Rock Amphiteater, outside Denver

A beautiful B&B in Colorado

Roxborough State Park, Colorado

Fancy breakfast at the B&B. He loved the yogurt parfait.

Dinosaur tracks

“You pretend to kiss the dinosaur, and I’ll take your picture.”

A surprise October snowfall in Boulder, and Philip’s brother Bob’s house

Philip’s personal photographer, Margaret, with the Commander of Chacchoben. Photo by Philip Wilson.

Click on one of the images below to view a full-size version of that piece. Before you do, try clicking on the words “Artist’s Statement” in the caption. That will launch a new window, so you can listen to the MP3 recording of the artist’s statement while you are looking at the image. (Sorry it’s a little klunky!)

If you’d like to support the project and show off the art, you can purchase items with many of these images from the CafePress CHOOSE ART store.

Last year, for the first time, I submitted a little item to the “What Where When,” the printed guide to activities at Burning Man:

Graduates of the School of Life/BRC Campus: Your diploma will not be mailed and must be picked up in person. Clothing and student ID optional. Please note that your attitude may determine what field of study is listed on your diploma. Brought to you by the Happy Spot.

Barry did legwork while I lettered

Then I sat down at my computer and designed a tongue-in-cheek diploma. At the top, below the name of the school in elaborate Blackletter (School of Life, Black Rocky City Campus) was fancy script that read, “In recognition of Ass-Kicking Attainments Achieved on the Playa and by virtue of the Authority granted by the Citizenry of the State of Insanity…” It featured a book-of-fire border with tiny images of the Man, an official seal that read “Incendo ergo sum” (I burn, therefore I am), and the signatures of four “trustees,” one of whom was Sawyer B. Hind, Janitorial Staff Representative. I printed it on parchment, and from a distance, it looks like a real diploma.

My plan was simple. I would set up a table in the middle of the desert, and if anyone came by, I would hand-letter their name and field of study on a diploma. I thought I’d hand out a few to passers-by and give the rest to my friends.

With the help of Barry and my friend Sparkle, I set up the table and started lettering, chatting with the first people who stopped by. People just kept coming, and a line formed. I was focusing intently on each person and the lettering, because I didn’t want to make a mistake and throw away any of the diploma blanks. All of a sudden, I looked up, and to my surprise, there was a line of people, waiting in the hot sun, that stretched all the way to the Man!

I had completely underestimated the importance of the diploma in our culture.

The line

Needless to say, I ran out of diplomas. Not only that, but after three hours of non-stop calligraphy (the event was scheduled to be two hours), my neck and shoulders were cramping. Three fingers on my left hand had gone numb and stayed that way for a couple of days. We had to take down names and email addresses of all the people who were in line when the diplomas ran out.

I have published below my list of the graduates and their fields of study, a priceless tribute to the creativity of the Burning community. Each one is incredibly meaningful to the recipient. “This is so beautiful — I want to hang it up at work,” said one woman, who had initially written her Playa name and then crossed it out and wrote her full name. I lost count of the number of people who told me they were going to frame theirs.

Barry helps Zeke at the photography studio

While I was lettering diplomas, my photographer friend Zeke set up a studio and took portraits of the “graduates.” When I saw pictures of happy, proud diploma-holders wearing a velvet-trimmed Doctoral graduation gown, I felt both happy and sad. I’d saved it from the estate of my recently-departed brother, Stevie. I know he would have loved the whole project and Zeke’s pictures.

What had inspired the whole project was the theme for Burning Man 2011: Rites of Passage. When I heard about it, graduation was the first thing that came to mind. I thought it was something that everyone did, that everyone could identify with. I was stunned when many of my “graduates” admitted that they didn’t have a diploma, and they felt incomplete because of it. I was giving them something they really needed.

One man became very emotional, almost tearful, when I handed him his diploma. “It was such a long line, and after I waited for a while, I thought about just walking away,” he told me. “But that’s what I always do.” He admitted that pattern in his life had prevented him from completing many things, including school.

“If I can’t stand in sun long enough to get to the head of this line, I can’t finish anything,” he said. He carefully rolled up his new diploma, proof that he could change his attitude and maybe his life.
—–

Sparkle’s photographs are below. She’s been a fantastic people-photographer since high school, when she edited the yearbook for three years in a row. Be sure to click on the thumbnails to see the entire image.

The list of 2011 graduates with their amazing fields of study is at the bottom, below Sparkle’s photos.

This year, in keeping with the Fertility 2.0 theme, I plan to hand out birth certificates. Maybe I can even find some additional calligraphers, so my fingers won’t go numb.
—–

On mepsnbarry.com, I have published a gallery of the best photos from my recent trip to the Yucutan Peninsula to see the Mayan ruins. I hope you enjoy the beautiful Caribbean sunshine and mysterious ruins in the jungle.

All photos are copyrighted, but feel free to send me an email if you’d like to reuse one.

The beach where we stayed

Inside the condo. The full kitchen meant we didn’t eat out very much.

View from our condo’s balcony.

The view from our balcony.

I love this boat’s name!

On the beach near our condo, wearing my polka-dotted hat from Brazil

The Caribbean really is this color.

The pool at our resort

Access to the beach from our condo was through this claustrophobic corridor.

Sunny interior window of our condo.

Open air grocery, Tulum. (something is wrong with the thumbnail, but if you click on this one, the photo stil comes up)

Sleeping dogs lie. In Tulum.

Where the sleeping dogs lie.

When I see something like this in a foreign country, I wonder if the wearer understands English.

The iguanas that live under the electrical panel

Ancient Tulum was a walled city. When you approach, you walk around the wall.

View of the Caribbean and kite surfer at Tulum ruins.

Shearwater flying over Tulum ruins.

Philip at Tulum ruins.

Meps at Tulum ruins.

Mayans must have been pretty short. Entering the walled city of Tulum.

Tulum ruins.

Tulum was the most beautiful location for an ancient city.

View from Tulum ruins.

Iguanas sun themselves at the ruins of Tulum.

A big, iguana at Tulum.

My favorite shot at Tulum.

Another cute iguana.

Busy beach at Tulum ruins.

My other favorite shot at Tulum.

Carvings at Tulum.

Philip enjoys the sights at Tulum.

Iguanas are vegetarians, but they do bite. Meps keeps a safe distance.

Interesting tree at Tulum.

I scored a real Mexican jicama at the market. It was delicious with homemade guacamole.

Unexcavated ruins at Muyil (Chunyaxchen)

The first pyramid we climbed, at Muyil

Meps, halfway to the top at Muyil.

Philip at Muyil. This temple was also used as a lighthouse.

Looking down the precipitous steps at Muyil.

Philip photographs a bat inside a temple at Muyil.

Lower temple at Muyil. The green oranges may have been an offering?

Termite nest.

Meps on a sacbe (road).

Information sign showing what carvings were found at different sites.

Information sign showing what carvings were found at different sites.

Intriguing tree bark in the jungle.

Original paint, Muyil. Many centuries old.

Funny tree with knees.

Philip with a nifty leaf.

Roof detail of the palapa over our table at the restaurant.

Hanging out at the local pub.

The restaurant had to close at 6 pm promptly, or risk a fine.

Locals enjoy a beer at the bar.

Sopa Azteca…similar to what we call Tortilla Soup.

Chilaquilles with a fried egg on top. Layers of tortilla chips, chicken, tomato sauce, cheese, and cream, with lots of onions..

Dramatic sky and parasailer, view from our balcony.

Ball court at Coba

Wow! Coba was 13 stories tall.

View over the jungle from the top of the pyramid at Coba.

Phooning at the top of the temple, Coba.

I made it! Meps successfully makes it down from Coba. The giant steps were not made for my short legs.

Human sacrifice or just a silly Meps?

This vendor at Coba has a sense of humor.

View from the top, Coba.

The 13-story climb was not easy, nor was going back down.

After the crowds at Tulum and Coba, Chacchoben was a delightful surprise.

Philip climbs the structure at Chacchoben, with special permission.

View from Chacchoben.

Peekaboo view of the other temple.

Carvings at Chacchoben.

More steps. Chacchoben.

Chacchoben.

Philip peers down from the top, Chacchoben.

View from the top, Chacchoben.

Postcard-like scenery, Chacchoben.

The Commander and Philip.

“They won’t lock you in. I have the keys!

Alfredo Gonzales shows Philip some of the books he uses to reproduce ancient carvings.

Master Carver Alfredo Gonzales, with his autographed photo of John Glenn. Gonzales’ reproductions of ancient carvings are found in collections around the world.

Statue by Alfredo Gonzales, reproduction of an ancient piece. Some of the Mayan art looks very Eastern.

Gonzales’ son displays one of the carvings in his studio.

One of Gonzales’ carvings, with an image of the original.

“This one is a baby,” he said.

“What tools do you use?” I asked Alfredo Gonzales. Just these, and a Swiss Army knife.

Rabbit detail from one of Alfredo Gonzales’ carvings.

Gateway with arch at Ek’Balam.

Snake carving, Ek’Balam.

Awesome carvings at Ek’Balam.

Tomb entrance at Ek’Balam.

The lower jaw of the big mouth that was the tomb entrance at Ek’Balam.

Tomb carving, Ek’Balam.

This character holds open the eye of the big snake. If his eyes were to close, the world as we know it would end.

Statues, Ek’Balam. The one on the left is deformed, probably a common thing in the inbred upperclass members of the city.

One of the whimsical, bug-eyed carvings. Ek’Balam.

Our guide points out details of the tomb carvings at Ek’Balam to Philip.

Some of the details found at Ek’Balam look like Egyptian heiroglyphics.

Meps at Ek’Balam.

At the top of the temple, looking out over the jungle, Ek’Balam.

Our guide at Ek’Balam had been part of the team that excavated the temple.

The top of the temple, Ek’Balam. I accidentally hit the shutter button when I was navigating the ladder and trying to keep my hat on.

Sleeping dog and stela, Ek’Balam.

Sleeping dog at the base of a priceless stela, Ek’Balam.

Turquoise-browed motmot, Ek’Balam.

Ek’Balam.

I loved the symbols used to indicate ruins.

Our beach bar had swings instead of barstools.

Meps in her new Mexican sombrero de jipijapa, found on the Cancun-Tulum freeway.